Timers



March 12, 1963 D. J. ROSS] 3,081,384

TIMERS Filed Dec. 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Dom/nick J F0551.

/w (32mm March 12', 1963 D. J. ROSS! 3,081,384

TIMERS Filed Dec. 15, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,081,384 Tilt [Elks Dominick I. Rossi, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Automatic Timing and Controls, Inc., King of Prussia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 15, 195%. Ser. No. 780,415 14 Claims. (Cl. 20038) This invention relates to timers, pertaining particularly to timers with repeat cycles [for the alternate control of two separate load circuits.

It is among the objects of this invention: to provide a small and compact dual-purpose timer of high efiiciency and accuracy; to provide a timer for controlling two load circuits in a repeat cycle organization in which the respective timed intervals are individually variable; to provide a timer in which a driven element is alternately driven in both directions between variable limits; to provide a reversing timer in which a driven member is movable between variable limits in alternate runnings; to provide two independent timed intervals controlling respectively two independent load circuits; to provide a reversing continuously recycling timer controlling two separate load circuits through respectively variable time intervals, in which a driven element moves in continuous running alternately in both directions between variable limits, and in which the start and termination of one time interval is functional with movement of the driven element from a datum zero point to a limit in one direction and return to datum, and in which the alternate time interval is functional with movement of the driven element from the same datum zero point to the other limit and return to datum; and many other objects and advantages will become more apparent as the description proceeds.

in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this description FIG. 1 represents a front elevation of an illustrative timer according to this invention.

"FIG. 2 represents a longitudinal transverse section thereof, partially in elevation.

FIGS. 3, 4, and represent sections taken respectively on lines 3-3, 44, and 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 represents a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal section through the forward end of the timer.

FIG. 7 represents another fragmentary section, partially in elevation of the timer.

FIG. 8 represents a fragmentary enlarged section through the timing shaft and the Geneva-type gears controlling same, in a datum attitude of the parts.

FIG. 9 represents a similar section of the timing shaft and the Geneva-type gears controlling same, in another attitude of the parts, off from datum.

FIG. 10 represents a fragmentary elevation of the timing shaft and the Geneva-type gear thereof in one attitude of the timing or cam shaft, effected by angular progress of the gears in one sense.

FIG. 11 represents a similar fragmentary elevation in which the Geneva-type gears are centered, in a datum zero setting corresponding to the position of the parts in FIG. 8, as controlling the cam shaft attitude.

' FIG. 12 represents a similar fragmentary elevation of the timing or cam shaft in the attitude assumed after the Geneva-type gear has progressed in the other sense.

The timer may be organized in accordance with instant necessities of the situation, and for illustrative purposes is preferably a cylindrical assembly, with a larger, generally rectangular front end so that the timer can be slid axially into an aperture in a panel with the front element pressed against the panel. This comports with the timer organization and mounting shown in the application of Everett R. Brown, Serial 433,142, which matured into US. Patent 2,885,001, and a division thereof now matured into ice Patent 2,852,154, .to which reference may be made for details of the organization and mounting.

The frame work of the instant timer comprises, illustratively, a plurality of spaced parallel transverse elements anchored in their spaced relations by suitable rods. The timer thus comprises a rear plate 20, a first transverse plate 21, a second transverse plate 22, and a centrally apertured third or front plate 23, all held together in mutual spacing in a generally cylindrical arrangement by a plurality of spacing washers and longitudinal struts or rods 24. The rear plate 20, which has preferably an inner and an outer series of radial electrical barrier fins 25, serves as a terminal block for electrical connections. Rear plate 20 mounts an electrical motor organization 26, which is generally dismountable and replaceable, and which comprises either a reversible electric motor, or a pair of opposite unidirectional motors in coupled relation for driving a common shaft in one angular direction or the other. In the purely illustrative case the motor as shown comprises a pair of oppositely driven unidirectional motors coupled to a common drive shaft 27, journalled in the rear element 20, and in transverse elements 21 and 22. Drive shaft 27 mounts a pinion gear 49, in constant mesh with sprocket gear 43, to be described.

The first and second transverse plates 21 and 22 journal a cam or timer shaft 30. On the rear face of first transverse plate 21 a pair of switches, such as respective loadcontrolling micro-switches 35 and 36, are mounted, respectively having spring fingers 33 and 34 presenting toward the cam shaft 39. On the same side of first transverse plate 21, the cam shaft 30 mounts cams 31 and 32 riding the respective spring fingers 33 and 34. Preferably the high points of the cams are axially staggered at least to a small dgeree, so that the depression of one spring finger is spaced angularly and thus timewise from the depression of the other finger. The cam and switch relation is preferably such that one load circuit controlled by one switch is opened before the other load circuit controlled by the other switch, is closed. A Geneva-type interrupted tooth pinion gear 39, to be described, is mounted on the cam shaft 3% on the opposite side'of the first transverse plate 21 from that of the cams 31 and 32.

A tubular shaft 4t) is journalled in the transverseelements 21 and 22, and rotatably mounts a, preferably plastic, gear member 41, to be further described, urged forwardly axially of the shaft 40 by compression spring 42, and suitably keyed to the shaft 40 for positive rotations therewith. Forwardly of the gear member 41 is a sprocket gear 43, loosely journalled on the shaft 40, abutting on the forward face a ball bearing assembly 44 disposed against the transverse element 22. In a forwardly presenting peripheral groove 45 on the gear mem ber 41 there is mounted a ring of frictional material 46, engaging the rear face of the sprocket gear 43. Frictional engagement between the gear member 41 and the sprocket gear 43 is maintained by the spring 42. The tubular shaft 49 on its front end mounts a transversely U-shap ed preferably integral contact-mounting and dial member 50, comprised of a rear generally radial portion 51, an eccentrically mounted and extending planar axial extension portion 52, and a front annular disc or dial, radial portion 53. The latter is disposed generally within the aperture of and in radial alignment with the forward transverse element or front plate 23. A pointer 54 is mounted on the dial 553, in forwardly oifsetradial relation thereto,

.so as to sweep the front face 55 of the forward transverse element 23 under the graduations on the inner surface of transparent portion 61 of the cover plate 60, in movements of the dial 53, consequent upon angular motions of the shaft 49.

A cover plate 6% is provided having innerand outer r set screw 73.

generally opaque concentric portions, separated by a generally transparent ring portion 61, on which is suitably inscribed two series of time graduations, starting from zero at the lower center of the cover plate and progressing angularly away from same toward the top thereof, as shown in FIG. 1. The cover plate 60 is centrally apertured as at 62, in which aperture an externally threaded bushing 63 is mounted, having an internal flange 64 bearing against the internal face of the cover plate 60. The bushing 63 is anchored by a suitable nut 65. Suitable friction and like washers 66 are mounted on the forward end of the bushing against the nut 65. A tubular shaft 67 'is journalled in the bushing 63 and on its forward end mounts a knob 68. On its inner or rear end the tubular shaft 67 mounts a rigidly connected longitudinally axially aligned inner contact abutment element 70 and a forward, radially extending, pointer 71, underlying the instant series of graduations on the cover plate and overlying the plate 55 on front transverse apertured element 23. For contrast the front plate 23 has, by plate 55, preferably light covered coating (and plate 55, may be a mere coating layer), against which the pointer 71 is contrasted, for visually aiding of the positioning of the pointer 71 by the knob 68.

A spacing washer 58 is anchored to the flange 64, as by A shaft 86 is journalled in the tubular shaft 67, and the forward outer end thereof mounts a knob 81. Inwardly of the cover plate the shaft 80 mounts a rigidly connected longitudinally axially aligned inner radially extending contact abutment 82, and a forward radially extending pointer 83, also underlying the instant series of graduations on the cover plate and overlying the plate 55 on the front transverse apertured element 23.

It will be seen that by suitable manipulations of the respective knobs 68 and 81 the pointers 71 and 83 are adjusted over the respective portions of the graduations from datum Zero in accordance with the desired settings in time of the respective contact abutments, to establish and vary the respective time cycles, of the dual timer, as will become more evident as the description proceeds.

A dual contact switching mechanism 90 is mountedon the flat 52 of the driven unit 50, including fixed contacts 111 and 1 13, betweenjwhich, in alternation, a snap switch element 91 moves between break with one contact and make with the other and vice versa. The snap element 91 connects a common line 110 to the reversible motor 26. Contact 111 completes a circuit through a line'1l2 for running the motor 26 in one direction, and contact 113 completes a circuit through line 11 for running the motor 26 in the other direction. Switch element 91 snaps and closes a circuit in one direction with rotation of the tubular shaft 46 by the described transmission from the motor, until element 91 engages one of the variable set abutment elements or 82. This reverses the switching and runs the motor, and thus the shaft 40, in the opposite direction, until element 91 engages the other abutment element, in its variable setting.

It will be seen that except for the minute time intervals between changes in the direction of motor running the motor is constantly running in one direction or another,

With the duration of running dependent upon the settings of the pointers and abutment elements away'from the common zero or datum. V The time interval between motor reversals is calculated and included in the respective time interval cycles established by the timer according to the graduations. V e 7 An important feature of the invention is the Geneva type gearorganization comprised of the drivenplastic gear 41 and the complemental plastic pinion Geneva-gear 39. Both are preferably formed of nylon, or the like.

' The gear 41 has a smooth outer periphery 95, of a given width, except for a few angular degrees, in which a tooth recess 96 is formed and extended laterally into an axially and radially projecting extension 97. The extension is of an'operator, abutment means positioned by the means 7 manually settable, electric switching means mounted'tothree tooth angular width, and on each side of the tooth recess 96 forms effective single teeth 98 and 100 leading into the recess 96. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 inclusive, and for illustration only the pinion gear 39 has at least three teeth. These teeth comprise a basic central preferably elongated tooth 101, between teeth 102 and 103 lying in the radial plane containing the said extension 97. When the gear members have been so driven as to approximate the relative positions of the parts shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, it will be seen that instantaneously the cam shaft 30 has a given 'first extreme position in which one micro switch remains activated, by its associated cam, controlling its load circuit, and the other load switch is deactivated, the cam shaft 30 is stationary, and basic tooth 10 1 is out of recess 96 andjuxtaposed to but out of contact with outer periphery 95.

In this attitude pinion tooth 103 is disposed inthe course of angular travel of extension 97, when gear 41 is moving counter-clockwise.

Let it be assumed that after attainment of the first extreme position, in due course the gear member 41 moves counterclockwise. In due course also tooth 103 of gear 39 is engaged by moving tooth 100 of gear 41 and starts to move the cam shaft 30, while moving the basic tooth 101 into the tooth recess 96. At the mid or datum point, with basic tooth 161 substantially centered in the tooth recess 96, as shown in FIGS.8 and 11, the cam shaft 30' has been moved from its said firstextreme position into an intermediate datum or Zero position', at which the previously existing load circuit has been broken and the other has not yet been made. This is the condition indicated in FIGS. 8 and 11. This is'thedatum zero for the system with reference to which the respective timed intervals of the respective load circuits are established;

With continued counter-clockwise movement of the gear element ll, the basic tooth 101 is moved out of the recess 96, and pinion gear 39 is moved and the cam shaft 30 is correspondingly rotated, to a second extreme position 6 shown in FIG. 12. In this second extreme position the cam shaft movement has closed'the other load circuit and the tooth 162 has been positioned to be engaged by the side of projection 97 on the return, clockwise, movement of the gear element 41, after the motor means hasbeen reversed by abutment of the switching element 90 against the positioned abutment stop element. 'In response to such subsequent clockwise movement the operation of the parts just described is reversed.

.It will be seen that, dependent upon the positioning of the abutment stops by the respective knobs, although'the motor drives the shaft 40 in one direction followed immediately by driving it in the other direction, in acoutinuous series of alternate cycles, the actual load circuits are controlled astfunctions of a datum zero mid-position V of the cam shaft, and a movement out therefrom and return in one sense, establishing one time cycle for one load circuit, and a movement out therefrom and'return in the othersense, establishing another time cycle for the other'load circuit. I p g It will be evident that any relation between the two respective time cycles, can be established, dependent'upon knob setting, that each time cycle of load circuit control is froma datum zero to a limit and return to datum.

I claim as my invention:

1. A timer comprising'in combinatioma driven member, reversible electric motormeans for driving said driven member rotatably selectively in one direction and then in the other at a timed rate, means manually settable by rotate with the driven member .complemental 101 said abutment means and controlling the direction. of rota 'tion of said motor means functionally with engagement of said switchingmeans with an abutment means, Geneva- -type gear means driven in synchronism with said driven member, a cam shaft, a Geneva-type pinion gear means on said cam shaft, two cams on said shaft, two load circuit controlling switches respectively juxtaposed to said respective cams for operation thereby, said cam shaft rotatable in said opposite directions between a position in which said load circuit switches are similarly energized and positions at which said load circuit switches are differentially energized, said Geneva-type gear and pinion actuating said cam shaft to and from the said positions functionally with rotations of said driven member.

2. A timer for controlling two load circuits in alternation with predetermined time value for the duration of each said load circuit, comprising in combination, a driven member, reversible electric motor means for driving said driven member in alternation in opposite directions, a graduated dial having a zero datum between time increments, a first knob, first abutment means controlled by said first knob and movable from such zero a predetermined number of time increments in one angular direction, a second knob, second abutment means movable from such zero a predetermined number of time increments in the other angular direction, controlling means movable with said driven member to abut said respective abutment means, means responsive to an engagement with one abutment means for reversing the direction in which said motor means and driven member are driven, plural load circuit controlling means, and means in synchronism with said driven means for selectively energizing and deenergizing said load circuit controlling means as the driven member angularly traverses such zero graduation.

3. A timer comprising in combination, rotatable means, reversible electric motor means for driving said means in continuous alternating cycles of running between limits, adjustable electric switching means establishing and varying such limits to control said motor and the duration of such cycles, plural load circuit controlling means having a datum zero setting, means driven by said rotatable means in the same cycles across said datum zero setting and actuating one of said load circuit controlling means maintained for a timed interval between transverse of said datum zero setting on a portion of a first cycle in one direction to one of said limits and return traverse of the datum zero setting on a portion of a second cycle, and actuating the other of said load circuit controlling means maintained for a timed interval between traverse of said datum zero setting in the other portion of said second cycle to the other of said limits and return traverse of said datum zero setting in a portion of a third cycle.

4. A timer as in claim 3, in which said circuit controlling means comprises a cam shaft, cam means on said shaft, load switch means controlled by the attitude of the cam means, and complemental gear means on said rotatable means and on said cam shaft.

5. A timer as in claim 4, in which the gear means controls cam shaft attitudes between three positions of which the middle one coincides with said datum zero setting, and the others respectively effect actuation of the respective load switch means.

6. A timer as in claim 4, in which the gear means on the rotatable means comprises two teeth spaced by a tooth groove, and in which the gear means on said cam shaft comprises three teeth the center one of which engages in said tooth groove.

7. A timer as in claim 3, in which the timer comprises a housing having a dial face, two concentric knobs project from the dial face, and the means for establishing limits are controlled by said respective knobs.

8. A timer comprising, in combination, a driven member rotatable in opposite directions, a shaft secured to said driven member to rotate therewith, a reversible electric motor drivingly connected to rotate said driven member, a single pole double throw electric switch element secured to said shaft to rotate therewith and having a central pole with contacts positioned on either side thereof, the contact on one side of said pole electrically connected to energize said motor for rotation in one direction and the contact on the other side of said pole 5 electrically connected to energize said motor in the other direction, variably positionable indexed stops in the rotary path of said pole, a cam shaft, means intermittently engageable with said driven member and connected to intermittently rotate said cam shaft, a pair of cams on said cam shaft, and a pair of load switches operated by said cams, said motor and said driven member being reversed by engagement of said pole by one of said indexed stops and rotation time of said pole to said stop is a time function of the condition of said load switches.

9. In an electrically operated and powered timer, in combination a plurality of load switches, cam means operating said load switches, a reversibly rotatable driven member intermittently engageable with said cam means, reversible electric motor means for rotating said driven member, electric switch means rotatable with said driven member and controlling said motor means, and variably positioned indexed means for operating said electric switch means, said driven means being arranged to rotate at a fixed rate and said indexed means cooperating with said electric switch means to reverse said motor at a pre selected time.

10. A timer as defined in claim 9 wherein said electric switch means comprises a single pole double throw switch and the pole element is operated by engagement with said indexed means.

11. in a timer, in combination, rota table means, a reversible electric motor drivingly connected to rotate said rotatable means, load circuit controlling means operated by said rotatable means, electric switching means for controlling the direction of rotation of said motor and operated by said rotatable means, and indexing means for varying the rotary travel of said rotatable means in operating said switching means.

12. A switching device comprising:

(a) a dial having a visible datum point thereon and indicia on both sides thereof,

(b) reversibly rotatable means having an indicator mounted thereon and in proximity to said dial,

(0) electrical means for driving said rotatable means in either of two opposite directions,

(d) means mounted for rotation with said rotatable means and being coupled to said electrical means which controls the direction of rotation of said electrical means,

(e) a plurality of individually adjustable means arranged in the path or" said direction-controlling means for actuating the latter upon engagement therewith, and

(f) means responsive to said rotatable means for controlling a plurality of load circuits in each of the intervals in which said indicator proceeds from said datum point to a point on one side thereof which is determined by one of said adjustable means and then goes back to said datum point.

13. The device according to claim 10 wherein said load circuits are alternately controlled by said loadcontrolling means in repetitive cycles.

14. The device according to claim 10 wherein said load-controlling means includes a plurality of load 65 switches which are arranged to change their condition substantially only when said indicator is aligned with said datum point.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

1. A TIMER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A DRIVEN MEMBER, REVERSIBLE ELECTRIC MOTOR MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID DRIVEN MEMBER ROTATABLY SELECTIVELY IN ONE DIRECTION AND THEN IN THE OTHER AT A TIMED RATE, MEANS MANUALLY SETTABLE BY AN OPERATOR, ABUTMENT MEANS POSITIONED BY THE MEANS MANUALLY SETTABLE, ELECTRIC SWITCHING MEANS MOUNTED TO ROTATE WITH THE DRIVEN MEMBER COMPLEMENTAL TO SAID ABUTMENT MEANS AND CONTROLLING THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID MOTOR MEANS FUNCTIONALLY WITH ENGAGEMENT OF SAID SWITCHING MEANS WITH AN ABUTMENT MEANS, GENEVATYPE GEAR MEANS DRIVEN IN SYNCHRONISM WITH SAID DRIVEN MEMBER, A CAM SHAFT, A GENEVA-TYPE PINION GEAR MEANS ON SAID CAM SHAFT, TWO CAMS ON SAID SHAFT, TWO LOAD CIRCUIT CONTROLLING SWITCHES RESPECTIVELY JUXTAPOSED TO SAID RESPECTIVE CAMS FOR OPERATION THEREBY, SAID CAM SHAFT ROTATABLE IN SAID OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS BETWEEN A POSITION IN WHICH SAID LOAD CIRCUIT SWITCHES ARE SIMILARLY ENERGIZED AND POSITIONS AT WHICH SAID LOAD CIRCUIT SWITCHES ARE DIFFERENTIALLY ENERGIZED, SAID GENEVA-TYPE GEAR AND PINION ACTUATING SAID CAM SHAFT TO AND FROM THE SAID POSITIONS FUNCTIONALLY WITH ROTATIONS OF SAID DRIVEN MEMBER. 